[1] Since the 1820s, the north bank and adjacent ridgeline of the Brisbane River, now containing William and George streets, has featured a concentration of government and associated activities and uses.

Over the period of the Moreton Bay penal settlement, buildings were constructed along this ridgeline, utilised by government officials for "accommodation, administration and control".

[1][3] While a range of buildings and activities occurred along George and William Streets and the north bank from the 1840s, the government maintained a dominant presence in the area.

The establishment phase following the separation of Queensland in 1859 saw the new colonial government reserve land parcels and construct a range of buildings to facilitate its functions.

The partnership of John and George Harris, general merchants and shipping agents, was established in 1853, with the firm involved in importing goods and exporting wool and tallow.

[1][6] In 1865 Harris commissioned architect James Cowlishaw to design a terrace building of six self-contained residences on the south-west corner of George and Margaret streets.

In 1861 Cowlishaw also designed a terrace building on the opposite corner of George and Margaret Streets for another politician, Arthur Hodgson.

Essentially narrow fronted adjoining houses, terraces were built as dwellings for people across the classes, as was reflected in their respective forms, scales, materials and settings.

[1][9] The Undue Subdivision of Land Prevention Act 1885, introduced to avoid "slum" conditions in areas of medium density dwellings, effectively limited the construction of terraces in Queensland.

While some terrace houses were built by property speculators as rentals in Brisbane after 1885 (most notably The Mansions ), these dwellings could not be sold individually.

Shortly after, the building was described as, "...substantially built, possessing an imposing exterior presence, and the interior arrangements contain all the requisites of a well-finished dwelling house of the mother-country, combined with the protection required by a warm climate...".

A slate roof with dormer windows were partly concealed by a balustraded parapet, inscribed with "Harris Terrace 1866" at its centre.

[1][12] Early tenants of Harris Terrace who were parliamentary politicians included Joshua Bell, William Yaldwyn and Kevin O'Doherty.

[15] In 1887 the property was acquired by two other members of Parliament, Boyd Morehead and William Pattison who both lived at Harris Terrace at this time.

The Undue Subdivision of Land Prevention Act was repealed in 1923 and from this time individual titles were created for houses at Harris Court.

The shortage of office accommodation in the centre of Brisbane, and the need to address future requirements, led to a phase of governmental property acquisition in the city.

The original service wings and outbuildings to the rear were demolished and a new steel framed, sawtooth annexe, connected to the earlier structure was constructed, containing open plan office spaces.

A major influence in ultimately shaping the layout of the area during the 1970s was the growing community support for the retention of older buildings within the government precinct, especially the Bellevue Hotel and The Mansions.

Spearheaded by the National Trust, the government-related associations and links between buildings, their architectural qualities, and aesthetic contributions to the area were highlighted in submissions to the government and in the public sphere.

The unannounced June 1974 removal of the balconies of the Belle Vue Hotel was a deliberate action by the Queensland Government to degrade the visual appearance of the area, and drew further attention to the conservation cause.

On 21 April, three days after this decision, the Bellevue Hotel was demolished in the early hours of the morning, a notorious event in the history of heritage conservation in Queensland.

[1] Harris Terrace is a row of six, brick, two storeyed attached former houses, located on the corner of George and Margaret streets within the government precinct.

[1] Harris Terrace is important in demonstrating the early residential nature of lower George Street, a pattern that largely occurred in response to the concentration of government and associated activities in this area of inner Brisbane.

In its dignified front elevation, form and scale, Harris Terrace is an important element of lower George Street, a streetscape dominated by late nineteenth century buildings.

More widely, the building makes an important contribution to the government precinct that exists between George Street and the Brisbane River.